Coming north on the A75 yesterday - (the bendy bit around Issoire with 90k limit) there was an unattended black box about 30cm cube sitting on a tripod partially hidden by a section of Armco. Now I have seen a variety of fixed installations , hand held radar/laser devices and mobile van housed devices but this one seemed to be a new design. It was definitely unattended but not a 'permanent' installation. Normally the presence of a blue car is good giveaway.
Oncoming drivers had had a good view and gave adequate warning so everything had slowed down.
Good journey back, 780 miles, and was I glad the bulk of the miles were in France! Back in the UK, he A2 was closed just outside Dover, and the subsequent delay meant that by the time I reached the M25 (23.00) you could not turn North without a tortuous diversion. The Blackwall tunnel was clear, but ended in a long jam somewhere in East London where an underpass was closed.
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pmh (was peter)
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Thanks. Will be passing Issoire week after next so have added this box to the print out from mappy.fr which has the permanent cameras. I remember discussion on this or another forum about whether these temporary boxes were really cameras but I would take my guidance from the locals if they think they are worth a warning to others.
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Driving to Liffre the week before last, 130kph limit with 132kph on the GPS.
Flash.
Straight out of the hedgerow.
A short distance later the hedgerow terminated and behind was a dark green Ford Focus estate with camera on stubby tripod behind.
Two days later, en route to Dijon, 110kph speed limit and 110 kph (GPS) set on the cruise control, but speed built up to 118 kph (GPS)courtesy of gravity and a steep hill. With clear straight line view to the valley below, and no other traffic at all around, I didn't worry.
Flash.
Another hidden camera, this time with the tripod stood in the narrow gap between the flanged end of one section of Armco and the flanged start of the next.
As well as these two static traps I lost count of the number of Gendarmes handheld radar traps and the number of cars pulled over.
Five of us are off to the south of France on our motorbikes on Thursday morning next week; something tells me the swift riding out of town during our trip in 2002 will be a little more sedate this time.
Returning to the trip a couple of weeks ago, we were driving to the Czech Republic and noticed the Swiss and Austrian motorways are littered with their equivalent of SPECS; two gantrys, one with cameras to read and photograph the front of the vehicle and another the rear, plus cameras pointing at the side to capture the driver. The result was two long crocodiles of traffic; those without GPS doing the speed limit according to their speedo, and those with GPS doing a little more. Absolutely no, and I mean NO blatant speeding.
Arriving in Czech Republic we found a number of major towns and cities now have SPECS, and the difference in driving behaviour is huge; the appalling speeding and carving up has been replaced by meek compliance. Driving through Zlin was almost a pleasure.
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Yup: was in France last week, and saw a new version of the mobile on the D62 East of Montpellier near Grand Motte. Normal full size tripod with attached Gendarme, but an anonymous looking BMW 5 series parked behind the row of trees as a puruit vehicle. Friend who lives by the airport said they had been very active recently. Wonder if it's anything to do with the new political regime?
Tim{P}
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Out ofinterest if you are driving with UK registration plates and get flashed can they fine you? I'm not talking about getting stopped by the local police but if they get you on the speed camaera would the fine work it's way back to the UK and if you don't pay what can they do then?
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Today I saw a binocular device on a tripod on a spot where the Gendarmes are fond of using an ordinary radar gun. There was no marked car nearby but a couple of anonymous motors parked.
Then I came home and read a piece in the paper about Haute-Vienne police being issued with three new 'radars' that can be left unattended with a wifi link to a laptop in a nearby parked vehicle.
Beware!
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>>Wonder if it's anything to do with the new political regime?
Yes, it is exactly that, according to our friends in Liffre with whom I mentioned my flash for 132 in a 130 zone.
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Seen the Issoire one,which doesn't flash-there is one on the A16 near Boulogne which does and there was a policeman with something on a tripod on the N154 near Chartres.
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In theory,as of April this year,EU governments are sharing vehicle registration details-so one you might get a letter,and if you don't pay,I expect Gordon and friends will set up a huge department to descend on you from a great height.
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